The Bioengineering Core will support all P30 investigators and collaborating investigators. The purpose of this Core is to provide engineering and software expertise needed in the projects of the users and to maintain the OHRC sound-exposure and auditory-brainstem-response (ABR) facilities. The P30 engineer will design and build custom electronic and mechanical devices that solve experimental and data acquisition problems. The P30 computer programmer will write computer software (e.g., a Lab- View virtual instruments) to address the experimental needs of the users. Projects undertaken by the engineer and programmer will extend the funded work of the Core users and stimulate collaborative studies between users. The P30 staff will help create common databases that would allow sharing of experimental data among users and enable more secure data backup. Core staff also advise faculty on specification and purchase of instrumentation and software.